The glucometer, your faithful friend
When you start in the world of hypoglycemia one of the first things that people should tell you is: ‘I introduce you to the glucometer, from now on it will be your faithful friend’.
And it’s true, because from that moment it should go with you everywhere.
There are many different types of glucometers, but before you choose one, we want you to know that there are several things to consider…
Keep in mind
THE PRECISION OF THE READINGS VARY FROM ONE GLUCOMETER TO ANOTHER . THEREFORE IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE A METER WITH CARE
Some elements that you could consider are the speed in showing the result, the size of the device, the cost of the test strips or their ease of use.
However, the decisive factor should be PRECISION.
Look, it turns out that glucose meters on the market have a variable accuracy that can go up to 20% deviation or ± 15 mg/dl in values below 60 mg/dl… there is a huge difference between a 50mg/dl and a 35mg/dl!!
ALSO, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THESE CRITERIA OF ACCURACY ARE GOVERNED BY STANDARD CRITERIA.
That is, in conditions in which the meter, the strips and the blood sample are handled following the exact recommendations of each manufacturer.
Since the glucometer data will affect subsequent patient care, it is essential that you can trust your device.
If you have doubts about its use or what device would be best suited to you, surely your hospital will have a diabetes consultant and he or she can help you!
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And how is a glycemia test done?
You need a glucometer, a test strip and a skin puncture device. You may also need a gauze or a tissue just in case too much blood comes from the puncture wound.
If you want, you can also have a pen and notebook to write down the result. However, it is not necessary to register the data at the moment because the device stores the measurements for several days.
You should follow a few simple steps:
How is it administered?
PREPARE ALL THE SUPPLIES THAT YOU WILL NEED. IN PARTICULAR: GLUCOMETER, PUNCTURE DEVICE AND A CLEAN TEST STRIP.
WASH THE HANDS THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND WATER OR, FAILING THAT, CLEAN THE AREA OF THE FINGER FROM WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE THE BLOOD DROP WITH GAUZE OR COTTON SOAKED IN SOAP OR DISINFECTANT. REMEMBER TO DRY WELL.
PUT THE TEST STRIP IN THE GLUCOMETER SLOT UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT AND INDICATE THAT IT IS READY TO RECEIVE THE SAMPLE (USUALLY THE DRAWING OF A BLINKING DROP APPEARS).
USE THE LANCING DEVICE TO GET THE DROP OF BLOOD: PUT A CLEAN LANCET, CHECK THE DEPTH OF THE PUNCTURE, LOAD IT AND CLICK TO GET A BLOOD DROP.
TOUCH THE DROP WITH THE STRIP AND WAIT FOR IT TO ABSORB THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD NEEDED (USUALLY A COUNTDOWN APPEARS, STARTING WITH 5). REMEMBER: DO NOT SEPARATE THE STRIP FROM THE DROP UNTIL A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF BLOOD HAS BEEN ABSORBED BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WILL CAUSE AN ERROR.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE RESULT YOU CAN REMOVE AND DISCARD THE STRIP. IF YOU WISH, WRITE THE RESULT IN A NOTEBOOK.
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